The Book Of Coventry: A City in Short Fiction

ISBN: 9781912697939

Publication Date: 26 Sep 2024

Publisher: Comma Press

As German bombs rain down on the city during the Blitz, a teenage girl discovers she has unearthly abilities…

A young woman by the name of Godiva finds herself being stalked by mysterious graffiti sprayed across the city…

On his first shift, a tour bus guide decides to go off route, taking his only passenger along for the ride…

Often overshadowed by its higher-profile Midlands neighbours, Coventry’s quiet demeanour conceals a steadfast spirit of resilience and resourcefulness. From rebuilding itself after the devastation of WWII, to overcoming huge social-economic decline during the 1970s and 80s, Coventry has long been a city of resolve and rebirth, a place used to picking itself up and dusting itself down. The stories gathered here attest to this fortitude, following a host of characters who see their own myriad struggles reflected in the city’s sometimes precarious development. From the young Asian girl witnessing National Front marches on her own street, to the alienated newcomer who burrows deep into local history for distraction, these stories reveal the steely tenacity that underpins this most unassuming and fascinating of UK cities.

SHORT STORIES BY LOCAL AUTHORS AND EDITED BY RAEF BOYLAN